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SU, Issue 17, Written

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On the surface, Angelic Babylon was a merchant desert town set into the mountains of the eastern continent and was the commercial meeting place between east and west. In reality, it was the centre for a global organisation of thieves, spies and agents collectively termed the ‘Thieves Guild.’ Now that her eyes had been opened to its existence here, Amy could see signs of its presence and operation wherever she turned.
Merchants who talked to each other overload, to distract people from the real conversations they were having with an elaborate sign language. Notes were past between strangers in the crowded cluttered streets. More often then not, birds flew overhead carrying what she was sure were to be messages to various locations. The entire city is little more then one big spying hub.
While the others were enjoying the hospitality of the guild, Amy had gone wandering to clear his head. It seemed she needed a lot of head clearing lately. A walk helped her clear her mind and organise her thoughts.
But it also held the promise of answers, for as she came into a large square full of stalls and market shops, she saw at the centre a large stone building. Her studies in college of archaeology told her that the architecture was ancient djinn in design, which made sense considering that the city had once been a stronghold for the now long dead civilisation.
The building was large with a dome shaped roof, towering over the market square with two badly eroded statues of what might have been djinn warriors standing to either side of the doorway. It would have been of only passing curiosity for Amy, were it not for the engraved marking just above that massive doorway. Two concentric circles, one eclipsing the other with three round protrusions set in an upside down triangle around it.
She stood there in the middle of the busy street staring at that mark for a long time, only slowly making the connection in her mind.
“It’s the same…” She spoke to herself, her words coming out almost like a sigh and her hand going to her left elbow where that same icon was marked into her skin. There was no doubt it was that same emblem. She had spent enough time looking at her own in the mirror to know it instantly, the same icon on both her arm, Sonic’s and Shadow’s.
Amy didn’t know why she walked into that temple like structure, only she found that she was walking and only became aware of it when she past through the door and out of the sun.
The inside of the temple was mostly one big interior with two large sky lights set into ceiling to allow shafts of light to feed inside. Doors opened into curving corridors inside the walls but for the most part, the building was hollow. A large stone alter lay directly in the centre on a raised platform, a small flight of stairs leading up to it. All around this alter, growing holes in the stone floor were intertwining vines covered flowers of many colours.
Illuminated from the skylight above, the scene was so beautiful and benevolent that Amy kept on walking right up the alter.
She was not religious and so at first could not figure out to which god the alter was raised to honour. Having spent some time in Soleanna recently she knew it wasn’t for Solaris. Perhaps since this was a djinn temple it had original been to honour the god of their people Iblis and then been usurped by some later order.
When the pink hedgehog arrived up close she saw that the alter had that same emblem from outside engraved into its surface as well, only this one was more elaborate. Around the outside of the mark itself in a precise circle were nine star like symbols and beside each one there was a word engraved. Unfortunately the writing both in a language she didn’t understand and too warn for her to see clearly.
“Welcome.” Startled, Amy turned around from the near voice. Standing just behind her, at the foot of the stairs leading up to the alter, was a cat.
She was dressed in an ornate purple rode with a hood that was embroidered with decorative gold around its rim. The cat herself had pitch black fur and eyes were all dull gold all the way through, her pupils only a lighter shade.
“I am sorry if I startled you.” She added with a slight incline of her head. Amy cleared her throat and stepped down from the alter.
“No it’s alright.” The pink hedgehog said. “I was just looking around.”
The cat smiled in a way that was oddly very reassuring.
“My name is Ebony.” She said by way of introduction, reaching up to pull back her hood. She had her head fur cut quite short into a very old fashioned sort of style. “Currently I am the head of the Seelie Mages Guild while the lady Merlina has gone to visit family.”
Amy blinked. The Thieves Guild she had to accept as real due to her experiences up till now with Sonic, but a Mages Guild? She supposed that she might be prepared to accept anything after what she had seen but magic? Sorcerers and wizards? That she would have to remain skeptical about until given very good reason not to.
“Can I help you?” Ebony continued to ask.
That she could as there was something Amy did want to ask.
“Well… I was just wondering…” She began, wondering how casually she could phrase the request as to not arouse her suspicion. “That sign above the door of the temple.” Amy gestured vaguely in its direction. “What is that? It is the same mark that’s on my friend Sonic’s arm.”
A warm smile parted Ebony’s lips.
“Oh so you must be Amy Rose then.” She said and the pink hedgehog flushed a little in response. “I heard all about the friends that Sonic brought back with him when he came back.”
Well that was certainly convenient not to waste time on introductions but it felt the pink hedgehog feeling slightly violated, as if while she was in this city of spies she would have no chance of privacy.
“Gossip vine seems quite fast.” She remarked. Ebony giggled.
“Best in the world.” She said and then came up to join her on the dais so the two of them stood next to each other by the alter.
“This mark…” She began, laying a hand on the engraving. “Is an ancient symbol that predates even the old Logresian empire, even the ancient djinn. Sonic himself wanted to know what it was and he came to me for answers, a few years back.”
Amy could not help but let the surprise show on her face.
“He did?”
Ebony nodded. “I indentified it for him.” If she read the eager suspense in the pink hedgehog’s eyes she said nothing about it. “He didn’t believe me when I told him what it was. I’m pretty sure he still doesn’t.”
Amy felt a sudden cold chin course through her blood and down her spine at the same time and she struggled to not show it.
“…then, what does this mark mean?” The pink hedgehog asked.
Ebony looked down at the emblem and the cat’s expression turned a little sombre. “It’s the emblem of Chaos, known as the Chaos Mark.”
Amy was silent and Ebony carried on.
“It has to do with the prophecy of Pax, the ‘Paxian Codex’.” She said and then pointed to the ring around the symbol on the alter, her finger pointing out the star markings with the writing next to them.
“The mark is an indication of those touched by Chaos, the god of anarchy.” The cat said. “It is said the first to receive that particular distinctive mark was the first king of Logres, Uther the Hedgehog.”
Amy vaguely remembered reading about him in history class when she was a teenager, the most famous historical king ever known and something akin to a legend with many fables acted out in movies attributed.
“According to the prophet Pax…” Ebony was still saying. “The mark is an indication of those selected to restore the balance that Chaos helped created, they are his avatars in a way.
All the while she was speaking, Amy had brought her hand up to rub her arm, her expression creasing into worried anxiety. Unfortunately for her Ebony noticed and the cat trailed off and looked at her with sudden and unnerving intensity. Amy flinched back from her gaze and the cat’s eyes flicked to the hand on her shoulder.
“However I sense that there is more to your question then that…” She said and her tone had lost its friendly edge, now becoming intense. She moved forward towards the now plainly anxious pink hedgehog “What are you hiding under your hand?”
Amy opened her mouth to say that there was nothing but Ebony moved faster, catching her hand and lifting it away.
“No wait!” She managed to sputter but it was too late. The cat pulled up her sleeve and exposed the mark.
Silence hung in the air as slowly Ebony’s eyes began to widen, her pupils contracting into startled feline silts.
“…but.. how…?”
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The sun was just right, just the right level of humidity and heat to make a nap just right. With his head in the shade of a canvas umbrella, Sonic yawned stretched his arms and folded them behind his head.
The blue hedgehog closed his eyes and smiled as slowly he began to drift off towards sleep. Then a peculiar sound caught his attention, a shrill whistling that at first seemed far off and distant but was growing louder and more distinct.
Irritated by the interruption Sonic opened one eye, then both of them shot wide open and his face distorted with an expression of intense surprise.
“ZOIKS!” He yelled and dived out of the way just in time as an energy bolt, crackling with golden lightning, smashed into the spot where he had been a moment before. It detonated on impact, bursting forth with an explosion that sent dust flying up into the sky.
Screams began to fill the air as panicked civilians from all over the city turned to look up at the rising cloud of smoke.
All of Sonic’s companions who had come here with him noticed it as well. Amy and Ebony, right in the middle of her examining of the mark heard the explosion and looked up. Even Hare who was having a drink with Tails outside a small beverage serving tent looked back with surprise.
“What the hell was that?” He asked.
Racing down the street away from the blast, Sonic glanced back over his shoulder and as he expected he could see the dark shape following him across the rooftops. The blue hedgehog put on speed in an attempt to distance himself from his pursuer, darting around startled people in the street.
The dark shape burst forward as way, its body swaying back and forth in a skating stance as it moved.
Darting into an alleyway, Sonic put his knowledge of the terrain to his advantage; racing through the narrow streets and using cover to break the line of sight between him and the strange enemy.
For a while it seemed to work and looking back the blue hedgehog could not see the figure anymore.
Then the wall directly to his left burst open, bricks flying in all directions and Sonic had to skid to a stop to avoid being hit.
Even through the clouds of dust he could see the jagged quills, black with blood red streaks on their outsides.
“Now you’re mine!” A more then familiar voice stated and Sonic caught sight of the ruby eyes of his doppelganger and sworn nemesis.
“You again?!” He snarled as Shadow came forward to confront him, fists clenched at either side and crackling with chaos energy bolts.
“We still have business to settle.” The dark hedgehog reminded him coldly and then charged at him, throwing a sparking fist forward.
Sonic parried the strike away with one arm and Shadow threw his second fist forward and Sonic blocked that as well. The two of them engaged in a lightning fast exchange of blows and blocks, that only ended with the dark hedgehog managed to land a blow on Sonic’s chin.
The blue hedgehog staggered backwards and left himself open. Shadow drove in, smashing punch after punch into his unprotected chest before bringing his foot up in a kick that sent Sonic flying.
Tumbling through the air Sonic landed with a crash into the side of a wall. Sonic gagged, all the air driven out of his lungs upon impact.
Shadow managed a sadistic grin and ran at his enemy, curving into a ball and spinning around faster and faster.
Sonic recovered enough to see the attack coming and rebounded off the wall in time to avoid it. Shadow ploughed on through, smashing into the wall and vanishing from sight.
Sonic didn’t waste the opportunity and bolted, racing down the street away from the dark hedgehog. He wasn’t fleeing from his opponent but rather gaining some breathing room. Shadow had come on him too close and too fast; he hadn’t been anticipating an attack so savage and so quick.
Plus there were too many people around that might get hurt in the crossfire. Shadow might care about collateral damage but Sonic certainly did, especially if a full destructive duel between the two of them looked likely to happen in the centre of the Thieves Guild.
There was a loud booming noise from behind him and glancing back, Sonic saw that that Shadow had come rocketing out from the debris of the wall he had crashed into. He was still spinning and was bouncing back and forth from wall to wall like a pin ball but always coming in his directions. People all around had to dive out of the way as he shot past him, intent only on striking his opponent and not caring who got in the way.
“Damn it!” The blue hedgehog said from between clenched feet and skidded to a stop, turning around to face the oncoming dark spinning hedgehog
Sonic brought his arms up over his head and then down again, curving his body into a ball as well and spinning; able to keep himself in one place long enough to gain enough momentum. Then once enough force had been gathered inside his body he shot forth, the air around him rippling with the shockwave.
The two spinning hedgehog shot towards each other like bullets out of a gun and when they impacted the resulting collision caused the ground around to tremble and the entire city to shake as if caught in the grip of an earthquake.
Sparks flew from their contact, energy generated from the friction and the resulting back surge of force sent both of them flying apart.
Sonic tumbled before righting himself and landing on his feet, breathing hard. Shadow spun around and sank his hands into the ground, dragging his fingers until he slid to a stop. He looked calm and composed but sweat still beaded his brow, running down his face.
Sonic wiped the back of his hand across his mouth took a moment to control his breath, keeping his eyes locked on the dark hedgehog.
Shadow spat and then cracked his neck, stretched and reassumed a battle stance. Sonic did the same and after a moment of silence, the two of them charged each other again.
The two of them were nearing each other for another clash when suddenly the wall to their felt seemed to explode on its own; debris bursting out and forcing both of them to come to a screeching halt.
“Oh am I late to the party?” Another, completely unfamiliar voice asked with sardonic wit.
“What?!” Shadow demanded, sounding outraged at the interruption.
Out of the hole in the wall walked, quite casually, another hedgehog. He was about their height but his colour scheme was almost a complete reversal of Sonic’s, fur emerald green and eyes deep blue.
He wore a jacket over his torso that had stitched flames on the shoulders and around his neck was a chain that ran down his chest to wrap itself around his waist as well.
“Good, glad I didn’t miss too much.” The new arrival said and paused to crack his knuckles.
Sonic blinked and looked back and forth between the two hedgehogs before him confusion written clearly on his face.
“Ok I already know Shadow here but…” He said and raised an eyebrow questioningly. “Who the hell are you?”
The green hedgehog tilted his head to one side and grinned evilly, showing off his teeth.
“The new improved version of ‘you’.” He said and Sonic just continued his non pulsed expression. “I’m what you might call ‘Sonic 2.0’.” He jabbed his thumb into his chest. “You just call me Scourge.”
Shadow, who by now was wearing a profoundly irritated expression on his face snorted and bared his teeth.
“Adorable.” He said with contempt. “Now go away. I have a score to settle with the blue hedgehog.”
Scourge’s smile widened again.
“That will have to wait.” He said and looked back and forth between them. “The two of you are coming with me.
Sonic just looked completely nonplussed.
“Be-gone strange green hedgehog.” Shadow spat and half turned, ready to face Sonic again and ignore the stranger. “I have no patience for…”
He never finished. Scourge’s punch was so fast he couldn’t react in time to block it and it struck him full in the face. The low was enough to send him tumbling across the street where he crashed in through the door of a house, disappearing inside. Some startled shouts came from within and several people came darting out in panic.
“Whoa!” Sonic sound himself exclaiming, taken aback by strength and speed he had not been expecting at all. He shot a look back at Scourge who was flexing the arm he had hit Shadow with and looking very pleased with himself.
“I would say we can do this either the easy way or the hard way but the truth is…” He started and turned to face Sonic completely. “There really never was an easy way.”
A thunderous detonation came from with the house accompanied by a flash of light. The building trembled and then collapsed, breaking apart and out from the flaling ruin Shadow burst.
He was covered in cuts and there was a mark on his check where he had been struck. The worse thing however was the murderous rage in his eyes.
“That does it!” He snarled. “The both of you die!”
Scourge chuckled and drew his body down into a fighting stance.
“Can’t we all just get along?” Sonic asked with a pained expression
“NO!” The two others replied in unison.
----------------

Her hammer in hand, Amy was running through the streets of the city through the frightened mass of civilians towards the rising clouds of smoke before her. When the event had been she had known, though some instinct that she did not understand, that Sonic was at the centre of it and he needed help.
But fighting her way through this mob was not getting her anywhere and go to get clears, she ran at the side of a building and began to climb. With her enhanced strength it was not difficult to find purchase for her hands and pull herself up and the buildings of Angelic Babylon were not too tall so she reached the roof easily. From there she could see the explosions herself.
Sonic ducked under a kick from Scourge, bending his body backwards and watched the foot sail overhead. Then he danced out of the way, propelling himself backwards in instinctive reaction.
Shadow had raised his hand, cupped his fingers and channelled a great deal of energy into an orb between his hands.
“Chaos Spear!” He declared and hurled it towards them both. While Sonic had chosen to avoid, Scourge turned to meet it head on. He held out his arm and swung it at the oncoming blast. Somehow, Sonic had no idea how; the green hedgehog deflected the attack and caused the energy to go flying off harmless into the sky.
Shadow looked surprised for a moment and then scowled in frustration. He charged forward, drawing a fist back for a punch, Scourge met him, parrying his strikes and retaliating with blows of his own.
“You fight like him.” The dark hedgehog growled, catching a hold of Scourge’s arm and holding it back.
Scourge scowled back at him.
“Don’t insult me.” He said and pulled himself loose, leaving the dark hedgehog free to an attack from behind. Sonic burst in and smacked his enemy across the back with a kick that sent him sprawling to the ground.
Racing across the rooftops, leaping across the narrow streets Amy was able to cover much more ground quicker. When she came to the site of the battle, she stopped to look at it uncomprehending surprise.
Sonic was fighting as she had thought and with Shadow, that awful dark hedgehog who had kidnapped her before. But the third one involved in their three way battle was a complete unknown to her. She had never seen a hedgehog that bright a shade of green before.
Dropping back down to the ground from the rooftops, she saw that Sonic was fighting Shadow head on exchanging truly brutal punches and kicks.
Closing on the blue hedgehog from behind was the green one, racing at him with a fist drawn back.
“Sonic!” She called out to him, running towards them. “Look out!
Sonic looked at her over Shadow’s shoulder and then half turned, seeing the green one spring into the air to come at him. The blue hedgehog did the only thing that must have come to mind to defend himself. He brought his own leg up and smashed it with tremendous force into the green hedgehog’s groin.
Scourge hung there in mid air for a moment, legs wide spread and a comical look of pain coming over his face.
Clenching his teeth he collapsed to the ground curving in on himself, cringing in pain.
“Damn it that was low!”” He snarled.
Shadow had turned around to see Amy there behind him and obviously he recognised her as that girl he had used as bait to lure Sonic to him in Central City.
“You again?” He asked with an incredulous tone.
Amy didn’t hesitate but rather brought her hammer up and swung it with all the strength she could manage directly into his face. If she had had anyone else she might easily have taken their head off. As such she only knocked him flying, now no longer a defenceless innocent for him to use as a pawn.
“Yes!” She declared with suppressed rage. “Me again!”
Sonic was not prepared to the enraged rush that met him. Scourge came at him like an oncoming train and the kick that hit him in the chest was so strong that the green hedgehog must have put all his force into it. Like a rocket Sonic was sent flying; smashing into a building on the far side of the market square and then out the far side. He kept on going, smashing into another building and ploughing right through it.
Until by chance, he crashed into that same building where Fukurokov had greeted them and accepted the Emeralds into the keeping of the guild.
The blunder of that was far worse then just defacing their headquarters but rather Sonic had been smashed all the way into the central room and right into the cooling device built by Mario.
Scourge held a hand up over his face to look off in the direction he had sent the blue hedgehog flying. “Oops, I think I broke him.”
“Sonic!” Amy exclaimed in alarm.
The green hedgehog dusted his hands as if it didn’t matter
“Aww well I’m sure Blake can find something salvageable there.” He said and turned. “Now where was I?” His eyes looked back and forth between Amy and Shadow and his grin turned evil. “Oh right.”

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Admits the wreckage of the cooler machine, Sonic twisted and writhed; gasping and straining against himself. It was not the physical pain that caused him to turn and shake, but rather the three Chaos Emeralds that were lying all around him. The triad of jewels were sparking with energy, having been freed from their cold containment their power was reacting strongly and funnelling itself into the only available container.
That container was him. Their power surged into his body, flowing down his veins and bursting forth into the cells. He could feel it surge through him, morphing him, changing him.
He tried to hold on, tried to keep his mind clasped to who he really was but the power of the emeralds was simply too much.
With a wail of despair his quills turned jagged and his royal blue fur burst up in a bright gold colour.
Shadow was making his way towards Scourge, intent on pounding this irritating usurper into the ground, when he stopped in mid stride and looked up sharply.
“What is that I’m sensing?” He asked out load, a frown of puzzlement creasing his face. “A Chaos Emerald? No...” The dark hedgehog’s puzzlement turned to dismay and his eyes widened. “More than one!”
Scourge raised an eyebrow and followed his gaze.
“What are you blathering about?” He demanded. Amy looked to, her hope for Sonic’s return suddenly and very quickly giving way to horror. A burst of intense gold light erupted up into the air, raising high and crackling with energy.
It was something Amy had only recently seen and was quite familiar with it.
“Oh no not again!” He cried out in fear. Rising up along that column of light was Sonic, but his fur was not blue but rather a bright gold. When his eyes opened gone were the green eyes that she liked so much, replaced by swirling red irises that highlighted an insane madness.
Super Sonic put back his head back and laughed, exposing his jagged sharp almost piranha like teeth, his laugh more off a deranged cackle.
With three Chaos Emeralds orbiting around him, supplying him with their power, Sonic’s alter ego surveyed the three other hedgehog’s before him.
“Alright then.” He said. “Who wants to die first?”
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BenonicTheHedghog's avatar
My favorites in this picture

Shadow

Sonic

Scourge

In that order!!!!!!